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60 Minutes to Better Genealogy

Saturday, July 7, 2012

(This program continues for multiple sessions)

Saturdays, July 7 – July 14

Sometimes an hour of instruction on a focused topic can help you push through a particular question or task in your genealogical research project. Take all eight sessions, or simply those that most appeal to you.

Registration for the group of all sessions on July 7 and 14 is now closed. Please call (312) 255-3700 or click the links below to register for individual sessions.

2:30 – 3:30 pm: Uncovering Your Past in Land RecordsOnline registration for this session is now closed. Please call (312) 255-3700 to register.Learn how to access a trove of public records in any U.S. county that can solve brick walls such as maiden names, death dates, and proof of relationships. Instructor: Grace Dumelle.No materials required.

Saturday, July 14

Registration for the group of four sessions on July 14 is now closed. Please call (312) 255-3700 to register for individual sessions.

9:30 – 10:30 am: Ten Solutions to Common Brick WallsThis class is full and registration is closed.When an ancestor seems to have “up and disappeared” or when researching common names or tracking female family members leads to a brick wall, try one of these ten possible solutions. Search strategies and tools, helpful record types, and overlooked genealogical fundamentals will be examined. Instructor: Marsha Peterson-Maass.Recommended materials: 500 Brickwall Solutions to Genealogy Problems. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Family Chronicle Magazine (Moorshead Magazines Ltd.), 2003. ISBN: 0973130318 (not available in the Newberry’s A.C. McClurg Bookstore; it is available at Amazon.com)

11 am – Noon: Using the 1940 U.S. Federal CensusRegister onlineJust released on April 2, 2012, we will take a good look at the 1940 Census’ history, including census takers training and what questions they asked. We will also examine how to retrieve its valuable information, including specific search strategies, getting past index problems (both with and without an index), census tools such as the Enumeration District Finder, and we will practice live searches in class. Instructor: Marsha Peterson-Maass.No materials required.

1 – 2 pm: Ancestry.com PrimerThis class is full and registration is closed.We’ll examine many aspects of today’s Ancestry.com and what it offers beginners as well as advanced genealogical researchers—including records and tools, the Ancestry Trees (build your own and elect to network with others), and what features Ancestry.com makes available through the free site, library edition, and paid subscription choices. Instructor: Caron Primas Brennan.No materials required.

2:30 – 3:30 pm: What’s New on the Internet?Online registration for this session is now closed. Please call (312) 255-3700 to register.We will take a tour through new and little-known resources for genealogical research and networking on the Web. Along with exploring Newberry-based offerings, we’ll identify useful free and fee-based local, regional, national, and international genealogical resources. Instructor: Caron Primas Brennan.No materials required.

Caron Primas Brennan is Vice President of the Computer-Assisted Genealogy Group of Northern Illinois (www.caggni.org), member of the Genealogical Speakers Guild and the Association of Professional Genealogists, and has made numerous presentations at local libraries and genealogy groups. Grace Dumelle has been researching professionally since 1995 and is the author of the award-winning Finding Your Chicago Ancestors. Marsha Peterson-Maass is a Member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and has taught numerous seminars at the Newberry.

Eight one-hour sessions, $15 per session; $100 for both days; $50 for July 7 or July 14.For Associates of the Newberry, students, and seniors, $12 per session; $90 for both days; $45 for July 7 or July 14.